


Something That I Want

by searchingwardrobes



Series: Fandom Birthday Playlist [35]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Episode: s02e06 Tallahassee, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-30 03:15:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21421282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/searchingwardrobes/pseuds/searchingwardrobes
Summary: There is a treasure in this room that you need but don’t want. Figure out what it is, and the way out will reveal itself to you. An alternate ending to 2x6: Tallahassee.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan
Series: Fandom Birthday Playlist [35]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1239404
Comments: 14
Kudos: 82





	Something That I Want

**Author's Note:**

  * For [onceuponaprincessworld](https://archiveofourown.org/users/onceuponaprincessworld/gifts).

> \- Happy birthday, @onceuponaprincessworld! I was inspired by the song by Grace Potter that plays during the closing credits of Tangled. The episode Tallahassee always gave me Tangled feels, so I used the song to envision an alternate ending to that episode. I tried to still keep these two in character, however, with Emma's walls and Killian's false bravado. I hope you like it!

_ It's so easy to make believe, _

_ It seems you're livin' in a dream _

_ Don't you see that what you need _

_ Is standing in front of you? _

_ Everything we need is right in front of us.  _ Emma grinds her teeth at the thought of the pirate’s words. She’s surprisingly gotten over the shock that he’s Captain freakin Hook and has gone straight to complete irritation. Tying that bandage with his damn teeth. Seriously, this guy is so full of it she’s surprised his shoulders can support the weight of his head. She huffs when she sees him lift a gold coin and smell it with a rapturous expression. 

“How long do you think giant knock-out powder lasts?” she snaps. 

“I’ve no clue,” he replies casually.

“That’s my rush,” she clarifies through gritted teeth. 

“Ah, right you are,” he agrees brightly, tossing the coin aside. She’s honestly surprised that he agreed with her so easily. 

What happens next is a chaotic blur. Emma sees the tripwire a moment too late, and then the floor is falling beneath their feet. The drop isn’t a long one, but piles of coins, mounds of jewels, and gold knick knacks of all shapes and sizes rain down with them. Her shoulder colliding with the floor doesn’t hurt quite so much as the metal pelting her from above. A hand grasps her other shoulder, and cool metal brushes her bare skin where her shirt has ridden up. Her eyes fly open as the muscular chest pressed against hers registers. 

“You okay, love?” Hook asks, his brow creased with surprising concern. 

Emma blinks and scrambles backwards, rubbing at her sore shoulder. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Hook groans as he struggles to his feet, massaging his own arm and rolling his shoulders. He looks up at the hole above them with a grimace. “I evidently triggered a booby trap.”

“Ya think?” Emma snaps. 

Hook offers his hand to help her up, but she slaps it away. He frowns, his blue eyes turning thunderous. “So this is my fault.”

“Well for a pirate you’re not very good at sneaking into a treasure room.”

“Maybe I would have been more observant if someone wasn’t nagging me to hurry up.”

“You’re not taking any of this seriously!” she’s practically shouting now, her fists clenched tightly. 

“Oh believe me, lass,” he retorts, stalking towards her in a predatory way, “I know how serious the situation is. Breaking trust with Cora isn’t something a man takes lightly.”

Emma refuses to back down, even when he comes chest to chest with her. She lifts her chin to meet his gaze. “Or maybe you’re playing us.”

He shakes his head, and Emma almost swears that she sees hurt in his eyes. “You still don’t trust me.”

Before Emma can reply, the ground beneath them begins to shake. More treasure sprinkles down into the hole they are in. Emma reaches out instinctively to steady herself, grasping Hook by his biceps. Very toned biceps, actually -

_ Get a grip, Emma! Now’s not the time! _

Hook’s hands come up to steady her as well, and he leans forward and says in a low voice, “It’s the giant.”

Emma glances up at Hook, and she isn’t sure if her pounding heart is from fear or the amazing bright blue eyes staring back at her. She swallows, then whispers, “Should we try and hide?”

The pounding stops, and a shadow falls over them. Hook presses his eyes closed and sighs. “Too late.”

“Humans after treasure again? After all these years?” a voice above them roars. 

Emma turns and tilts her head. She is surprised by two things. One, the giant she had thrown the sleeping powder at earlier isn’t the fearsome monster she had assumed he was. Now that she can really look at his face, he seems more like an ordinary man who just happens to be extremely large. If she isn’t mistaken, that even seems like loneliness and sorrow in his eyes. Two feelings she is much too familiar with. 

The second thing that surprises her is the protective posture Hook is assuming, wrapping his right arm around her and pulling her a hair closer while lifting his hook in front of her. Completely unnecessary, of course, but . . . huh. He really is an old-school gentleman. 

Emma pushes her way out of Hook’s loose embrace, despite the warnings he hisses at her under his breath. She locks her gaze with the giant above them, hoping she hasn’t read him wrong.

“Look, we’re not here to hurt you -”

“Oh, so knocking me out earlier was what? An accident?”

Emma shakes her head. “Sorry about that -”

“What are you  _ doing _ ?” Hook mutters behind her, but she waves at him to be quiet.

“We heard that you weren’t exactly friendly, so we thought that sleeping powder was our only option. We heard wrong, didn’t we?”

The giant narrows his eyes. “No, you heard correctly, and don’t try to charm your way out of this. I fell for that once. I won’t do it again.”

Emma searches his face carefully. “Humans betrayed you, didn’t they? That’s what really happened here, isn’t it?”

“Victors are the ones who get to tell the stories.”

“Exactly!” Emma agrees. “The war, it wasn’t the giant’s who were the bad guys, it was the humans. They invaded. And now . . . “ she bites her bottom lip as she looks into the giant’s eyes again, “you’re all alone.”

The giant’s face goes soft for a moment, but then his jaw clenches. “I’m still not gonna trust another human.”

“Listen, the way I see it, we could have killed you before when we used the powder, but we didn’t. Aren’t you wondering why?”

“I’m listening . . . “ the giant mutters hesitantly.

“It’s because we’re only here for one thing. We’re just looking for a magic compass. That’s it. We put you to sleep, we get the compass, we’re out of here. That was it. I swear.”

“What do you need it for?”

Emma takes a deep breath and answers with complete sincerity. “To get home to my son. He’s in another realm, and I only just got him back. This compass is my only chance. Please, help us.”

The giant looks at her for a long, silent moment, then he turns away from the hole. Emma glances at Hook, who regards her with an arched brow. Only a moment later, the giant is back. 

“Catch,” he tells her, tossing something into the hole. Emma reaches up and grins when a golden compass falls into her open palms. 

“You’re amazing,” Killian whispers over her shoulder, “bloody brilliant, lass.”

She turns towards Hook, unable to keep the broad grin off her face. She’s surprised to see his own lips turn up into a genuine smile, his gaze upon her and not the ornate compass in her hand. Flustered, she quickly turns away from him to look back up at the giant. 

“Thank you! So, so much! Now could you, um, get us out of this hole?”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

Emma frowns. Had she read him wrong this whole time? She’d been so sure . . . 

“Why ever the bloody hell not?” Hook cries out next to her. 

“Hook,” she whispers in a warning tone.

“I would if I could, believe me,” the giant explains, “but this trap was enchanted years ago, before I was even born, by an enchantress. The only way out is to solve the riddle.”

Hook groans beside her. “What riddle?”

“There is a treasure in this room that you need but don’t want. Figure out what it is, and the way out will reveal itself to you.”

“Are you serious?” Emma rubs at her temple. 

“Afraid so,” the giant sighs, “but I’ll bring you some dinner in the meantime.”

Emma frowns up at him. “Thanks. I know it isn’t your fault.”

The giant gives her a sad smile in return. “My name is Anton, by the way.”

“Emma Swan,” she tells him.

“Captain Killian Jones.”

Emma turns her head towards her companion in surprise. He’s even bowing to the giant, the drama queen. She had honestly forgotten that he had given them another name - Killian Jones. His real name. Not Hook. 

It suits him, actually. 

*****************************************************

Emma tosses aside a string of pearls as she curses under her breath. On the other side of the room, Hook matches her frustration with colorful language of his own. Her jaw clenches so hard her ears almost pop and anger surges through her. She mindlessly grabs a velvet pouch of jewels and hurls it against the rocky walls of their prison. 

“We’ll find a way out of here, Swan, I’m sure of it,” Killian tries to encourage her, but he doesn’t sound all that convincing. 

“I told Mulan to chop the beanstalk down if we weren’t back by sundown.”

Hook shakes his head, his eyes blinking. “You  _ what _ ?”

Emma rubs her face wearily. “Don’t act so surprised, you’re a pirate. I had to protect Mary Margaret. One of us has to get home.”

Killian’s eyes look thunderous. It’s surprising how often in the last half hour she’s thought of him by his given name. 

“I thought we already had this conversation.”

Emma tilts her head. “It really bothers you that I don’t trust you?”  _ What the hell did he expect?! _

“What the bloody hell did I expect?” he asks rhetorically, his entire body deflating.

Emma’s jaw drops. Either he seriously has mind reading powers, or -

“Anyone hungry down there?”

They both look up at Anton, who’s grinning down at them. Yeah, definitely not a flesh eating monster. She and Killian affirm that they could indeed use some sustenance, and Anton sends a bucket down on a rope. When Emma grasps it, a thought comes to her. She finds Hooks eyes on her, and he shrugs as if to say, “it’s worth a shot.”

Emma sets the bucket on the ground, and then Killian springs with surprising agility onto the rope Anton is still holding. Yet before he has climbed even a foot up the rope, a pulse of magic emanates from it and he’s sent flying backwards. Anton can’t help a small chuckle as Hook groans and struggles to his feet.

“I should have warned you not to try that,” the giant laughs. 

“I’m glad you find it so entertaining,  _ mate _ ,” Hook growls. 

Emma shakes her head as she reaches down to help Killian up. “Thanks for the food, Anton,” she calls over her shoulder.

“Wish I could do more,” he tells them as he pulls up the rope, “but enjoy the meal.”

“You don’t hesitate to take risks, do you?” Emma asks Hook as she kneels down next to the bucket of food. 

“Well,” he says amiably, “as you said, I  _ am  _ a pirate.”

Emma nods as she takes out thick ham sandwiches, grapes, wedges of cheese, and two jugs of ale. “Yeah, I guess a cautious man wouldn’t make it on . . . what do you call it? The high seas?”

Killian raised a brow at her as he tossed a grape into his mouth. “You don’t know much about piracy, do you?”

Emma settled onto the cold stone floor with a sandwich clutched in her hand. “Nope. Just what I’ve seen in movies.”

He tilts his head at her in a way that reminds her of a curious puppy. “Movies? What are those?” He so sincere, so completely clueless when he asks, that it’s almost endearing. 

“It’s like . . . a play, but the people aren’t actually there. They take . . . pictures that move and project it on a huge screen.”

Killian’s eyes widen. “Incredible, and they say your land has no magic!”

Emma can’t help but smile at his awe over something that to her is so commonplace. They fall into an easy silence as they eat and drink. Emma polishes off her sandwich, and after a swig of ale, her gaze drifts once again to the tattoo just peeking out of his shirt cuff. 

“Tell me about the tattoo.”

He startles, and she isn’t sure if it’s from the question itself or the silence she has broken. His jaw clenches as he looks down at his wrist, and she knows he won’t answer. Again.

“You loved her, didn’t you?” she says softly.

Killian simply nods.

“And she’s the reason you need to get revenge on Rumplestiltskin?”

He sighs. “Aye, but I don’t really wish to relive that pain at the present.”

“I get that.” Emma munches a few grapes. “Besides, it’s not like you’re the only one with an ax to grind with that guy. I can fill in the blanks, believe me.”

Killian chuckles sardonically at that, and they both fall silent again. 

“You know I can’t let you kill him though, right?” Emma adds. “I mean, as the sheriff I have to uphold law and order and all that.”

He studies her so intently, that she as to look away. “You weren’t always on the right side of the law. Were you, Swan?”

Emma’s head snaps up at that. “How do you  _ do  _ that?”

He shrugs. “I may be a pirate, but I’m not stupid. Orphans don’t get the easiest lot in life. I would wager that you did what you had to in order to survive.”

Emma narrows her eyes at him. “I get the feeling this isn’t just something you picked up from a bunch of lost boys.”

Killian rubs at the back of his neck and a light blush stains his cheeks. “Well, perhaps I’ve seen it in the mirror as well.” He shrugs and laughs as if it’s of no consequence, a casual air she knows from personal experience is a defense mechanism. 

“Oh,” is all she can manage to say. 

They finish off the rest of the food and the ale. They really should get back to figuring out that damn riddle, but she feels drowsy from the meal. She pulls her knees up to her chest and studies Hook’s profile. She bites down on her lip before breaking the silence once again. 

“I admit, I have been in love.”

He turns to her, eyes widening slightly in surprise. A small smile lifts his lips, but it isn’t teasing or self-satisfying. It’s just understanding. “I assumed as much.”

Emma sighs and rests her chin on her knees. “It’s hard for me to love. It was even hard at first with Henry. I see my parents- they want me to love them, but it’s hard. I need to try I guess.”

She glances at Killian, and his eyes are piercing in their intensity, but this time she doesn’t look away. He’s an orphan too, and it makes her feel as if perhaps he understands. He’s a pirate, he’s done things that she’s sure are horrific. She knows she can’t fully trust him, at least not yet, but that doesn’t mean he was wrong before. They do make quite the team, and he really does seem to have an uncanny ability to read her. 

“They need to be patient,” he finally says, voice low and warm. “Maybe what you need is not someone begging you to love them, but someone who will wait patiently until you’re ready.”

Emma feels a gasp lodge itself in her throat as his words sink deep and take root. The air feels charged, but not with the sexual attraction she’s felt earlier. Before she can analyze it, the room rumbles beneath their feet, the walls shake, and a crack runs down the length of one wall with a loud clap like thunder. Dust and debris rain around them, but when it clears, light pours through a cavernous hole in the far wall. They both scramble to their feet, laughing with joy. 

“What?” Emma asks. “How?”

“I don’t know,” Killian laughs, “but don’t question it, love.” 

With the compass clutched in her hand, Emma races out into the sunlight on Killian’s heels. What happened in the cave has her mind whirling with so many questions, the main one surrounding the riddle they had unknowingly solved. What treasure did she need even though she didn’t want it? Or was it Hook’s treasure? 

She pushes all of those thoughts aside as they scramble to descend the beanstalk. Sundown isn’t far away . . . 

_ She's a girl with the best intentions _

_ He's a man of his own invention _

_ She looked out of the window _

_ He walked out the door _

_ But she followed him _

_ And he said, "What'cha lookin' for?" _

  
  



End file.
